Monday, May 20, 2013

Hello, Blogosphere!

Hi folks!
I'm Sam, and these are my adventures in adopting a healthier, more humane lifestyle. My carnivorous-but-understanding husband B, I live in Albuquerque, NM. ABQ's not the easiest place to be a vegan--New Mexican cuisine is both meat- and cheese- centric and deliciously addictive--but the availability of grocery and dining options is improving. Through this blog, I'll be sharing tips, recipes, and resources for creating healthy, affordable, and delicious cruelty-free food.

Why Vegan?
The transition from omnivore to vegan isn't an easy one (and isn't complete for me yet--for now I'm still eating meat and dairy occasionally), but it's one that is greatly improving my quality of life. I've struggled with an inflammatory digestive condition for the past seven years, and not until I cut animal products from my diet and did my symptoms dramatically improve. My energy is up (probably because I'm absorbing nutrients a lot better now), my sleep has improved, and my ability to focus has improved. Now, I'm neither a doctor nor a nutritionist (in fact, I'm a grad student in math education), so my experiences shouldn't be treated like medical advice. However, as an educator, I understand that it is my responsibility to publish information based on sound scientific research and not on fad. If something I post doesn't seem right or if you have any questions in general, please feel free to contact me!

I also felt like a hypocrite for much of my meat-eating years. I've always been disgusted by many meat and dairy farming practices as well as industrial animal testing. Feeling disgusted by disgusting things is great, but without actions against them, disgusting acts continue to be validated. I'm ready to take action. I finally have the knowledge, confidence, and resources to educate others about how to improve their own lives as well as the lives of the creatures with whom they share this world.

How Vegan?
Remember my carnivorous-but-understanding husband? I was worried that his distaste for many vegetables and resistance to trying new foods would create conflict. Fortunately, I'm having fun finding new ways to prepare old favorites and making dishes that convert from vegan to omni. B's being an enthusiastic taste tester (he even tried my crispy orange tofu stir-fry!) and helping me discover and create new recipes.

Additionally, several vegetarian/vegan friends have turned me on to great local and online resources. I'll be highlighting many of them in my posts, but here are a few favorites to get started:

Thai Vegan (http://www.thaivegannm.com/) - while I love to cook, I still have a favorite take-out spot! One location is a few minutes from my house, and the other is a few minutes from my work. Both are amazing! I highly recommend the spicy eggplant with tofu.

Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/) - A go-to source for all things vegan, with a healthy dose of Jewish humor. I can't wait to try her matzoh ball soup next Passover (or heck, next week. I love soup!)